Debunking the Gun Culture Propaganda

It's been just over eight years since the assault weapons ban expired, and in that time new gun control bills have been scarce. There are a variety of reasons for the legislative silence, including a cowardly lack of political will, but two of the primary causes are as follows.

First, it's difficult for the government to regulate firearms while it's been actively engaged in, until recently, two wars and countless other military actions around the world. By the way, how do we explain to our children that there are peaceful, rational means of resolving conflicts when our government appears to be incapable of such pacifism? When discussing the root causes of gun violence and mass shootings in America, I'd like to see Iraq and Afghanistan, not to mention previous American wars, listed as suspects in this debate before we start targeting media and video games. See also Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine.

And, secondly, radical gun fetishists and primarily the NRA have been supremely effective with clever marketing and misinformation campaigns. You've probably seen many of their finest agitprop slogans plastered all over Facebook, Twitter and the right-wing blogosphere these days. They're artfully designed to be digested by people who desperately want them to be true -- in this case, kneejerk gun enthusiasts starved for solid, airtight, easy-to-remember trump cards that are capable of defeating liberal gun control arguments with swift precision. Unfortunately for them, the slogans are about as thin as the bumpers stickers they're printed on.

Here’s the real problem (as explained by a letter to the editor today): Gun-free zones around schools (and other areas) make safe havens for psychos because they know they won’t face armed resistance there.

BuffaloBuckeye

Did the letter-to-the-editor happen to mention how psychos came into possession of their firearms?

Brutlyhonest

Haahahaha!

Also, too: Lanza’s mother had guns in the house. You know, for self-protection. How’d that work out for her?

BuffaloBuckeye

Yeah, talk about tragic unintended consequences. Yeesh.

TerranceGilmore

Bob, do they have a message board where they all do to get these talking points? I am hearing these same arguments, word for freakin’ word all over facebook. I don’t know that I can continue to discuss this with these crazies.